64 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



thick bed of jelly, a portion of which may usually be 

 found at the base of their cells, soon after they have hatched. 

 Unlike the food of the other larvae, it has a slightly 

 acid taste ; and when fresh, resembles starch ; when old, a 

 light quince jelly. The bees, if confined to their hive and 

 supplied with water, can secrete it from the honey and 

 bee-bread stored in their combs. 



I submitted some royal jelly to Dr. Charles M. Wethe- 

 -rell, of Philadelphia; an interesting account of his analy- 

 sis may be found hi the Report of the Proceedings of the 

 Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences for July, 1852. 

 He speaks of the substance as being a " truly bread-con- 

 taining, albuminous compound." A comparison of its 

 elements with the food of the drone and worker-larvae, 

 might throw some light on subjects now involved in ob- 

 scurity. 



The effects produced upon the royal larvae by their 

 peculiar treatment are so wonderful, that they have usually 

 been rejected as idle whims, by those who have neither 

 been eye-witnesses to them, nor acquainted with the op- 

 portunities enjoyed by others for accurate observation. 

 They are not only contrary to all common analogies, but 

 so marvellously strange and improbable, that many when 

 asked to believe them, feel that an insult is offered to then: 

 common sense. The most important of these effects I 

 shall briefly enumerate. 



1st. The peculiar mode in which the worm designed for 

 a queen is treated, causes it to arrive at maturity almost 

 one-third earlier than if it had been reared a worker. 

 And yet, as it is to be much more fully developed, 

 according to ordinary anaiogy, it should have had a slower 

 growth. 



2d. Its organs of reproduction are completely developed, 

 so that it can fulfill the office of a mother. 



